


What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You a Fighter

by lullys



Series: September Verse [5]
Category: Actor RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Established Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, M/M, Paralympic Games, Physical Disability, September Verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 09:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11871735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lullys/pseuds/lullys
Summary: Jared participates in his first Paralympic Games. And later, he meets a very special person.





	What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You a Fighter

**Author's Note:**

> here's a new timestamp for my verse! I got a few requests to write about this, so I decided to join two requests in one timestamp. I hope you guys like it! I got a bit carried away and it ended up being a long one. This story is still not over since I'll be working on a sequel soon (as well as another story that's taking form).
> 
> Please lemme know what you think of this one!!
> 
> Thanks again for my awesome incredible beta Heather for making this piece even better! <3

“Baby, you’ve got this.”

Jensen is sitting on a stool in front of Jared, his hand squeezing his shoulder. Jared nods, swallowing hard. “I hope so,” he says in a small voice, lowering his head. Now that he’s here, he’s not so sure anymore.

Jensen places a finger under Jared’s chin, lifting his head back up. “Jay, listen to me. You’re an amazing swimmer, you were better than anyone else in the qualifiers. You will be perfect.” Jared bites his bottom lip and Jensen goes on, “Look how far you’ve made it! It has only been three years since the WTC attack, since our lives changed, and look where you are now. You’re about to compete for a gold medal at the Paralympic Games! Even if you don’t win baby, it’s okay, because being here is wonderful enough and I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Jared smiles at that, knowing Jensen is right. The third anniversary of the WTC attack was only a couple of weeks ago, it _has_ only been three years since he became a paraplegic and now he’s in Athens about to try and win a gold medal in paralympic swimming. He still can’t believe he’s here; when he first started swimming he could never have imagined he would get this far. From the get go he knew he had found a new passion, but learning he was actually good at it - great actually - was incredible. Not even Jensen using his arms and legs full force could swim faster than Jared, who can only rely on his arms - they’ve raced each other and Jared beat him every time. His coach at the YMCA, James, had been amazed by Jared’s skills in the pool, and it didn’t take long for Jared to start competing. He participated in local and regional competitions as well as bigger ones across the country and much to his surprise he actually qualified for Athens. It’s already a huge achievement for Jared, in a little over a year of swimming, having qualified for the Paralympics.

Jensen took some time off work to travel with him to Greece, and Jared couldn’t be more thankful. He would never have asked this of Jensen, since unlike Jared he has to pay for the trip and be away from work for several days. But Jensen had promptly told Jared he was coming with him when Jared qualified. They decided to make a vacation out of it, staying in Athens for a few days after the games so they can visit the city properly since they’d already be there.

Jared has qualified for five finals, and now he’s about to swim the first one, the 100m Freestyle S5. Paralympic swimming has different qualifications depending on each swimmer’s disability so the competition is fair. Jared is considered S5, which means swimmers with low level paraplegia, loss of control on one side of the body and short stature. He had to take some tests to be placed in the right category.

“Thanks for being here,” Jared squeezes Jensen’s hand, he feels much better knowing his boyfriend is here with him, it gives him strength.

“There’s no other place I’d rather be, ” Jensen leans forward and plants a sweet kiss on Jared’s lips, who instantly relaxes.

They’re interrupted by Jared’s coach, Michael, who clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt the love fest, but it’s time to concentrate, it’s gonna start soon.”

Jensen pulls away and shoots Michael an apologetic look. “I know when I’m not welcomed anymore! I’m going!” He plants a last quick kiss to Jared’s lips and gets up. “I’ll be waiting for you out there, Jay. You will be amazing no matter what!”

At that Jensen leaves, and Jared is left alone with Michael to prepare. He takes a look around and studies the other competitors, a couple of them have already won medals in past games and they are the ones Jared is more worried about since they are incredibly good. He actually watched videos of them competing several times ever since he first started swimming, for inspiration. He can’t believe he’s actually here with them now. Despite the fact that they’re all competing against each other, everyone gets along pretty well, they aren’t enemies. Jared has even made some friends among them.

When their category is announced, Jared puts on his cap and places his goggles on his forehead. He lines up with the other competitors, and he’s the last one to be announced. Michael pushes his chair for him so he doesn’t use his arms any more than he has to, saving 100% of his strength for the pool. When he enters the arena, there is some cheering from the fellow Americans who are in the audience. He waves timidly, and quickly spots Jensen, who’s sitting at the lowest row of bleachers, close to the starting point. Jensen winks at him, and Jared lets out a breath. He’s got this, he will be the best for Jensen. He’s here because of Jensen, so Jared will win for him.

Michael leads Jared to lane 4. Since he had the best qualifying time he gets the best lane, which is already a great thing. Jared takes his shirt off, leaving only his Jammer swimsuit on. For a second he thinks back to a time where it was unthinkable for him to show his paralyzed body like this to anyone. Now there’s a crowd seeing it and he’s probably on TV as well. He pushes that thought away and focuses, transferring from his chair to the starting box. He adjusts his cap and places the goggles over his eyes. He positions himself the right way on the box, placing his legs correctly. He prefers to start from the box instead of already in the water like some others swimmers do.

Jared tunes out everything else, focusing on the task ahead. He eyes the pool in front of him, he just needs to swim the length of it twice. Just 100 meters as quick as possible, and the medal is his. He has the best time already, he just needs to do it again. _And hope nobody else does it faster._ Everybody gets in position as they’re told to get ready. Jared leans his torso back, holding to the box with his hands for impulse. When he hears the sound he jumps in the water, using the strength in his arms to swim as fast as he can. Jared makes a good start, he can sense the swimmer on his right keeping up with him but he’s almost sure he turns first. 50m left to go, and Jared suddenly sees that the other guy is ahead of him, so he gives everything he has to swim faster. He’s gonna do it, he knows he can, Jensen is here and this is for him too. He pushes his body to the limit, not caring if his arms will be useless for days, his lungs are on fire as he tries to breathe and the air won’t come, but he won’t give up. He’s strong and he can do it, for all the times he thought his life was over, for when he thought he would never be anything ever again, for when he thought he was useless and there was no way out of the darkness…

Jared’s fingers touch the wall just as he sees the other swimmer touch too, and for a few moments he doesn’t know what’s happened. Jared holds to the edge of the pool, his arms are shaking and he feels dizzy; the effort he made was just too much for him and he closes his eyes, taking deep breaths trying to recompose himself.

As if through a fog he becomes aware of his surroundings again, people are cheering and there’s someone talking to him, so Jared finally opens his eyes, taking off the goggles and looking up at the big screen positioned at the other end of the arena. He blinks a few times, trying to read the words, and he has to read twice to really understand what it says.

1 - JARED PADALECKI

He won _._

Jared immediately looks over to where Jensen is sitting, and his boyfriend is jumping up and down, arms up in the air, screaming like a maniac and looking at him. Jared looks back at the screen, and when the guy next to him splashes water on his face, his mind starts working again. He blinks as the guy hugs him with one arm, yelling in his ear.

“Dude you won! Congratulations, you were awesome!”

The guy pulls back and Jared’s mind has gone blank. He looks at the board again, reads his name at the top of the list, then glances back at Jensen, who is still shouting and Jared thinks he’s crying.

_He won._

Something finally clicks in Jared’s brain, and he feels a thousand emotions bubbling up inside him as adrenaline and serotonin kick in. He yanks his cap off his head and punches the water, throwing his head back and shouting as loud as he can, he fucking did it, _he won a gold medal_.

His arms are still sore but Jared manages to swim to the side of the pool, where his coach is waiting for him. Michael has a huge smile on his face when Jared approaches.

“You did it man!” Jared smiles and high-fives him as Michael helps him out of the pool and hands him a terry cloth robe. Then he gets him situated back into his chair which has a towel placed over the seat and backrest so as not to get them wet. Jared can see that there are a few reporters wanting to talk to him; actually he notices all eyes are on him and he feels shy for a moment. He always felt uncomfortable with people staring at him ever since becoming paralyzed, but paying more attention to their faces, Jared notices they’re not pitying him at all. He’s overwhelmed and right now he just wants one thing before doing anything else.

With extra effort, since his arms are completely exhausted, Jared wheels to where Jensen is sitting, he can’t get too close to him since the bleachers are placed at a higher level than where he is, but Jensen is leaning over the rail and Jared stops right in front of him. He wants nothing more than to climb the bleachers and hug his boyfriend. Jensen has tears streaming down his face and Jared feels his own eyes getting wet.

“You did it Jay, I’m so proud of you!” Jensen yells so Jared can hear him over all the noise that’s going on in the arena.

Jared chuckles, staring into Jensen’s eyes as everyone else fades away. “This is all for you!”

Jensen winks at him. “Go get that medal, I’ll be here waiting for you.”

Jared sends a kiss up to Jensen, he can’t wait to hug him but that will have to wait a bit. He wheels away from Jensen bypassing the throng of reporters and in front there’s an American reporter waiting for him. Jared stops to say a few words, still overwhelmed, his brain still not processing it fully. When he’s done, he heads with Michael to the preparation area, so he can get ready for the ceremony. Michael talks nonstop about how amazing he was, and the other swimmers come by to congratulate Jared as well. He talks to all of them and then puts on his pants and jacket as well as his sneakers, and combs his hair. It all passes in a blur, and before he knows it he’s told to line up with the second and third place winners for the medal ceremony. He’s placed in the middle of them since he’s won first place.

Jared’s heart is beating a mile a minute as they are led back into the arena. Everyone cheers as they enter and Jared’s gaze quickly travels to Jensen, who gives him a wink. He wheels up the rostrum, and parks his chair in the middle of it. He has to wait for the second and third places to be awarded and then it’s his turn. Jared’s name is announced, then a member of the IPC walks up to him and places a ribbon over his head, the gold medal pulling on the end making a soft thump against his chest, and he immediately feels the weight of it. An olive wreath is laid on his head as well and Jared shakes hands with the man, accepting congratulations. Jared picks up the medal and stares at it in awe. It’s still hard to process, that he did this. Looking up, he sees that three flags are slowly rising to one side with the American flag in the middle, raised the highest, and the national anthem of the USA starts playing. Jared’s eyes well up again as he starts singing along to The Star-Spangled Banner, right hand holding onto the medal over his heart. He chose to serve his country years ago, he was there when the biggest tragedy in their history happened, and his life forever changed that day because he chose to help others. And now he’s here, giving his country a gold medal, writing his name in another history. It took a long time to see it, but he knows his story is far from over.

He looks over at Jensen, who’s also singing and looking directly at him, a very emotional look on his face. Both keep their gazes locked on each other until the end of it. Everyone cheers, and Jared poses for pictures with the other medalists before they’re taken to the section of the bleachers where the press is corralled. They pose for more pictures there, proudly holding their medals.

When it’s over, Jared sees Jensen climbing down the stairs between the bleachers a few feet away from him and he quickly wheels over to him. When Jared finally reaches him, Jensen kneels down and Jared forcefully wraps his arms around his boyfriend, hugging him as tight as he can. Jensen hugs him back just as intensely. Suddenly Jared doesn’t care that there are hundreds of eyes and lots of cameras watching them, he simply breaks down in Jensen’s arms, burying his face in his neck. All the tears he had been holding back now fall freely down his face as he cries, emotion washing through him as he appreciates what it took to get here. For the time when he didn’t see any kind of future for himself and now he’s in Athens, _a gold medalist in the Paralympics_. For the many times when he hated his body and felt nothing but shame and disgust, and how he worked to turn himself into a competitive athlete, strong and proud. His whole upper body shakes as he thinks back to when he hurt for losing the only thing he thought he was good at, being a firefighter; how he found something else to excel at and be happy in doing. He clings to Jensen, because he was the one who gave Jared everything; because of his unconditional love and unwavering support, Jensen is why he is here today.

When they finally break apart, Jensen holds Jared’s face with both hands, his own face inches away from him, eyes red and wet. “Jay, you did it, I knew you would, you’re amazing! You’re my superhero and I can’t even express just how proud I am of you!”

Jared smiles through his tears before reaching for the gold medal on his chest and taking it off, placing it over Jensen’s head instead. Jensen’s eyes widen, and he looks from the medal to Jared. “Jay, baby, w…”

“This is yours Jen,” Jared cuts him off. “You’re the reason why I’m here, you introduced me to swimming, you gave me my life back and helped me find another passion. You believed I would be here someday way before I believed in myself. You have my first autograph, now you have my first gold medal. I want it to be yours.”

Jensen doesn’t say anything and Jared watches him swallowing hard, clearly lost for words, more tears gathering in his eyes as he reaches for Jared’s hand, squeezing tight. They hold each other’s gaze, a million unspoken words passing between them. Only the two of them know what they went through together and separately to be here today. And Jared knows that Jensen understands how this medal is his just as much his as it is Jared’s.

Eventually they become aware of many stares at them and their little moment, so together they head to the private area away from curious eyes. When they’re finally alone at an empty corner, Jensen sits sideways on Jared’s lap and kisses him passionately, murmuring into his mouth.

“You were so awesome and also so hot baby, when you were only in that swimsuit I saw people totally checking you out and that turned me on knowing this gorgeous body is all mine.”

Jared pulls him closer, so happy in this moment he could scream from a rooftop. He finally found his path again through sports, he found a huge talent that his paralyzed body was still able to give him and that feels fucking amazing. Jared has everything he needs, he has something that gives him purpose and the drive to succeed and he has Jensen. Nothing can stop him now.

*

Within the next two days Jared wins four more medals: three golds, including one at the 4x100m freestyle relay, and one silver. It’s not easy and by the end of it all Jared is completely exhausted, but it was worth every ache and pain. He has five medals to bring home, and for the first time in a long while he’s damn proud of himself. There were a number of reporters after Jared, hoping to get quick interviews with him between events. The image of him holding Jensen after his first medal spread like wildfire, people wondering who the guy is that Jared got so emotional with. So far Jared has kept his interviews short - he has been focusing on the competition. Now that that is over, he has been contacted by a major network for a big interview on one of their shows when he’s back in the US. He’s already feeling nervous with the prospect.

When Jared is done competing, he’s free to leave the Olympic Village and go stay with Jensen at his hotel room, where they can finally celebrate Jared’s achievements properly. Talk about a night to remember! Jared blushes thinking about it, aches and pains of a more private nature pleasantly reminding him how very proud of him Jensen was.

They spend a few days touring the city before Jared participates in the Closing Ceremony, sporting his five medals proudly, with Jensen beaming at him from the audience. They have a great time just relaxing after all the tension prior to the games.

As they head home, they are worn out but still excited, bringing not only Jared’s medals but a lot of great memories created in Athens. Jared knows this was another life-changing experience, one he is happy to remember. Arriving at JFK, several people stop them so they can talk to Jared, congratulate him for the medals and some even want pictures with him. Jared is caught by surprise at that, he never imagined someone would want a picture with him. Jensen just smiles knowingly, like he expected this all along. _That smug bastard._

Jared tries as much as he can to be nice to everyone who talks to him, he’s not used to all the attention, but he thinks he manages just fine. After retrieving their luggage they find Chad, who’s been waiting for them outside the gate. His friend quickly walks to them and when he reaches Jared, he bends down and gives him a bone crushing hug.

“Jaybird you were awesome out there! I’ve been telling everyone I’m your friend!” Chad tells him excitedly as he pulls back, and Jared can’t help but laugh with fondness.

“Thanks man, I’ll show you the medals later.” Jared can feel eyes watching him, but right now he wants to go home, he’s been away from it for a long time and he’s a bit homesick, he admits. So they head to the parking lot, Jensen pushing their luggage cart. Once they reach Chad’s car Jared gets into the passenger seat while Jensen stows everything in the trunk. He adds Jared’s chair next to their bags, then they spend the drive home telling an eager Chad about the trip and the competitions.

They reach Jared and Chad’s house where Jensen decides to stay for a while before going back to his own place. He mostly stays at Jared’s house anyway these days, and when Jensen is actually at his apartment Jared can usually be found there too. They’ve been talking about getting a place of their own, but they want to take it slowly since Jared has been busy with preparations for the Paralympics and Jensen was just starting his own law firm. Moving in together is definitely something they both want for the future. Perhaps now they can really start looking into it.

Once back in his chair, Jared wheels up the ramp to the front porch. Chad and Jensen follow behind him, bringing their luggage. Chad laughs as he unlocks the door since Jared sheepishly admits he has no idea where his keys are right now, and he doesn’t think much past that when he rolls inside the house, turning the light on. He almost jumps out of his chair when suddenly a lot of people scream at the same time, all gathered in the living room.

“SURPRISE!”

Jared blinks a few times, recovering from the shock at the same time as he hears Jensen exclaiming behind him ‘what the fuck?’. Jared takes a better look at the scene, and he can see all of his friends, including his swimming buddies and even Jensen’s parents who’ve come from Texas, and he can’t believe his eyes. There’s a sign hanging on the wall saying _Congratulations on your medals, Jared, you’re our champion!,_ and suddenly his eyes fill with tears, he can’t believe his friends did this. He looks up at Jensen, who’s behind him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Were you a part of this?”

Jensen just shakes his head in wonder, still staring at the scene in front of them. “I swear I had no idea. Mom, dad, I can’t believe you’re here!”

At that, Donna walks towards them with open arms. Jared wheels further inside and meets her halfway, his mother-in-law wrapping her arms around him tightly. Pulling back, she addresses both boys. “Of course we’re here silly! Our son won five Paralympic medals, we wouldn’t miss the opportunity to welcome him back, we’re so proud!”

Jared swallows hard hearing those words, especially when Donna calls him _son_. It still amazes him that Jensen’s parents consider him that. It’s much more than he could ever have hoped for. Jared thanks her, and at that everyone lines up to talk and hug both Jared and Jensen. They spend a great time with their loved ones, celebrating Jared’s achievements, the medals get handed around since everyone wants a close look, and they make a big toast in honor of Jared. The party goes on for hours, there’s a lot of food and drinks and laughter, Jared even forgets he was so exhausted. He feels damn happy for everything, for his life and his accomplishments. It’s a truly great day.

*

A week later, Jared is nervous again. He’s about to be interviewed live at Good Morning America and just why did he agree to this again? Up until not that long ago, he didn’t even like being around people all that much, he hated when people watched or stared at him, and now he’s about to be in front of an audience and cameras, live for millions of people. _What was he thinking?_

“Jared, you’re on in 5 minutes,” the producer tells him, and he tries to take slow deep breaths. When ABC had contacted him a few days ago, right after his return to the US, so he could be interviewed at GMA to talk about the Paralympic medals he won and his story, he had been wary. It was Jensen who convinced him to go.

“Jay, you’re a champion now. Everyone saw how incredible you were and of course they want to know more about you now! I’ll go with you, you can do this.” Jensen had argued, and Jared knew he was right even if it made him anxious to think about being on live TV. Ever since coming back, there wasn’t a single time Jared went out where people didn’t stop him to talk. He’s suddenly in the spotlight after the games and he knew it was just a matter of time until he had to do something like this.

So he concentrates, hoping he doesn’t make a complete fool of himself. Jensen is in the audience, Jared had asked production to put him on the first row so he can see his boyfriend while he’s being interviewed. Jensen will always be Jared’s touchstone, to ground him and steady him.

The show goes on a short break and the producer tells Jared it’s time. He leads him to the studio, and the audience cheers when they see him entering. Jared gives everyone a shy smile and a wave, and quickly searches the first row until he finds Jensen’s face, who is giving him an encouraging smile. He mouths _I love you_ , and Jared’s heart instantly calms down. He greets Diane Sawyer, the news anchor. He had exchanged a few words with her backstage, feeling nervous about being so close to her but she was nice and is now genuinely smiling at him again. Jared parks his chair next to hers as the producers instruct him, to ensure it works for the cameras.

She sits down next to him. “Don’t worry, it’s gonna be a piece of cake. Just show off your natural charm and you’ll be good.”

Jared swallows hard and nods, as the producer does the countdown and then they’re live. Jared’s heart is beating loudly in his chest as Diane introduces him, and Jared smiles for the camera, his dimples showing.

“Jared, thank you so much for being here with us. We’re all so proud of you, bringing back home to the US five Paralympic medals and we’re only now hearing about you. I am sure everyone wants to know more about our new champion!”

Jared smiles at Diane and nods, clearing his throat. “Thanks for having me, it’s a pleasure to be here.”

“Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, Jared?”

Jared’s hands are sweating as he’s fidgeting. His gaze quickly lands on Jensen, who gives him a nod. He nods back and purses his lip.

“Well, I am 28 years old, and originally from San Antonio, Texas. I’d moved to New York about seven years ago after my mom died. She was the only family I had left so I decided to make a fresh start. I came here to live with my friend Chad.” Jared can sense some sympathy looks from the audience at the mention of his mother and the fact that he has no family, but he’s not bothered by it anymore, so he goes on to the hardest part. Jensen had encouraged him to talk about it, as it was the catalyst to how he became a champion. “I wasn’t always in the wheelchair. Back then, I was able to walk. I ended up joining the FDNY and became a firefighter, alongside Chad. It was something I loved to do with all my heart and I wanted to make a career out of it.

“My life completely changed on a day that many Americans’ lives changed as well. On September 11th of 2001, I had just arrived at the station when we were called to the World Trade Center because a plane had hit the North Tower.” The whole studio goes completely silent at Jared’s words, it’s like everyone is holding a collective breath, waiting for what’s coming. So Jared breathes a few times before continuing. “While I was there, in the middle of the chaos, just outside the North Tower a steel beam fell from the building directly on me. All I could do was bend over, and the beam hit my back, knocking me out. My friend Chad was there and managed to carry me to an ambulance. I had severe injuries and was in a coma for six days. When I woke up, I knew something wasn’t quite right, and I learned I had suffered a spinal cord injury at my waist level, making me a paraplegic. Been in the wheelchair ever since.”

Jared takes a deep breath, allowing his words to sink in. Diane stares at him for a few moments. “So let me get this straight. You’re in a wheelchair because you were paralyzed while on duty as a firefighter at the WTC?” she asks, dumbfounded.

Jared nods. “That’s pretty much it.”

She stares at him, clearly stunned. “I’m sorry, but I almost don’t know what to say. I was excited to meet you because you are a champion, but now we learn that you’re actually a hero.”

Jared blushes and lowers his head. “Well, I was doing my job, that’s all.”

Diane reaches out and touches his shoulder, leaning closer to him. “Darling, that was so much more than just doing your job, don’t sell yourself short. You were very brave, as I just said. You _are_ a hero and I’m sure everyone here would agree with me, wouldn’t you?”

At that, everyone in the audience starts clapping and cheering loudly, proving what Diane just said. Jared looks at Jensen, who’s clapping and shouting, and his boyfriend raises an eyebrow at him, as if saying _I told you_.

When they’re done, Jared quietly thanks them, giving a timid nod and feeling his cheeks heat up even more under the unexpected admiration. He adjusts himself in his chair and clears his throat, continuing the interview with Diane. They talk a bit more about his story and what led him to swimming, and of course the Paralympics. Then Diane gives him a mischievous smile.

“Now Jared, what we really want to know is who is that man you gave your first gold medal to. The images have gone around and made everyone feel the emotion being shared between you two in that moment, including me! Can you tell us a bit more about him?”

Jared lowers his head again, scratching the back of his neck. He also imagined this would come up eventually and Jensen had given him the okay to talk about him. His boyfriend is more reserved than Jared usually but there’s no way around the impromptu show they put up for the cameras in Athens.

“Well, his name is Jensen and he’s my boyfriend. He’s actually here today.” Jared motions towards where Jensen is sitting, who turns red instantly. Jensen will kill him later, he knows. He smiles as Jensen waves quickly and gives a shy smile to the camera in front of him. “We have an interesting story since Jensen is also a September 11th survivor. We met shortly before that day, and for a long while we believed the other had died in the attack. It was very hard on us. Finding each other again helped both of us in so many ways. We went through a lot together on the journey to recovery. Jensen was actually the one who introduced me to adapted swimming, he was the first person to believe in my potential, he always supported me. He decided to go with me to Athens to be with me during the competitions and I wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for him. That’s why I gave him my first medal, it’s his victory just as much as it’s mine.” Jared ends with a fond smile directed at Jensen, who’s returning it just as lovingly. He can feel the heart eyes coming from the audience and Diane herself, who clasps her hands together.

“Oh boy, don’t you two make a lovely couple! So we have Jensen to thank as well for those awesome medals you brought to us. Good job Jensen!”

Jensen gives a thumbs up, and then Diane thanks Jared for being here today and for everything he has done for America. Jared knows she’s not talking about the medals only. People actually stand up to applaud him, and he feels emotional with that. They’re looking at him just as the people at the AA meeting did when he first told them his story, with deep respect and pride, and that makes Jared start to believe he actually deserves it. He feels proud of himself too.

When Jensen meets him backstage, he gives Jared a huge hug. “Baby you were awesome out there! People around me were all in awe of you, they all love you already!” Jensen whispers as he holds Jared close.

Pulling away, Jared holds Jensen’s face in both hands. “Thanks for being there, I wouldn’t have made it without your familiar face in the audience.”

Jensen winks. “Never would have missed it.”

*

A couple of weeks later, Jared is leaving the gym where he was working with Michael, and there are a million things on his mind. The last several days after his interview for GMA have been weird to say the least. Suddenly everyone wants to talk to Jared, he’s stopped by people everywhere he goes, even more than before the interview. Knowing what happened to Jared to make him wheelchair bound made people very interested in him, they are constantly telling Jared how incredible he is, and how proud they are of him. Jared feels shy receiving these compliments, but he smiles and thanks everyone. Talking to Jensen about it, he was able to understand how important it must be for them to see how a person who survived a horrible tragedy that affected the whole country and was able to bounce back even with limitations and become a champion. He is an inspiration to a lot of people, as they say themselves, and Jared is learning how to work through accepting this newfound type of celebrity.

He gave a few other interviews after GMA, and tomorrow he’s meeting with a reporter for _Sports Illustrated_. They’re writing an article about him and he’s doing a photoshoot for the magazine too. Jared is anxious because of the exposition, but as usual Jensen will be there with him and he knows it will be okay. He’s in a much better place than he would ever have dreamed of during those first few months after becoming paraplegic, and he’s fully enjoying his life. So he will just roll with it, quite literally.

Jared wheels towards his car - Jensen’s car actually - but when he’s almost there, a woman approaches him.

“Excuse me… Jared?”

Jared looks up, expecting it to be just another person who wants to talk to him, and he smiles at the woman. But when he takes a good look at her, she’s looking at him with an odd expression on her face and he frowns. She seems familiar but he can’t place her.

“It’s me… sorry, do I know you? You look familiar.” Jared cocks his head to the side, frown deepening.

To his surprise, the woman’s eyes fill with tears as she smiles kindly at him. “Yes, you do. Sorry to come to you like this, but I had to…” The woman is clearly nervous, clutching to the strap of her purse. “You saved me… at the WTC.”

She looks at him expectantly, and when Jared hears those words he knows instantly who the woman is, and his eyes go wide in shock. “Oh my god. You’re the pregnant woman.”

She nods. “Yes, exactly. You and Jensen saved me that day. For a long time I wondered what had happened to both of you, didn’t even know if you were still alive, but I really wanted to find you if you were, and when I saw you on TV a couple weeks ago I could barely believe my eyes… I just had to come talk to you.”

Jared shakes his head, too stunned with the woman in front of him, as he tries to find his voice. “I’ve actually wondered so often what had happened to you. Gosh I can’t believe you’re here.”

The woman looks down for a moment, Jared can see her cheeks getting red, and then back up at Jared. “My name is Rebecca. I was wondering if we could ever have a talk when you have some time.”

Jared is actually eager to talk to her now. He had talked about her with Jensen more than a few times, wondering what had happened to the woman they both tried to save. So he smiles kindly at her. “Nice to meet you, Rebecca. And well, I have some time now, if you want to go grab a coffee? I was actually going to pick Jensen up from work, he’s not too far, I can call him so he will meet us as well.”

Rebecca lights up at that. “Oh my God, that would be awesome, really!”

So Jared fetches his phone from his front pocket and calls his boyfriend, who picks up after a couple of rings. _“Hey baby, you on your way?”_

“Hey Jen, not really. There was a change of plans. Can you meet me at that Starbucks down the street from your office? I’m with someone you’re gonna wanna meet.”

 _“Is everything okay Jay?”_ Jared can hear Jensen frowning, and he smiles.

“Just fine baby, just meet us there, will ya?”

_“Sure thing, see ya in a bit.”_

Ending the call, Jared puts his duffel in his car and invites Rebecca to follow him to Starbucks. They make small talk as they go, she asks how Jared’s training was today and he briefly tells her about the swimming.

When they reach Starbucks Jensen hasn’t arrived yet, so they go get their drinks - Jared orders for both him and Jensen - and choose a table to wait for him. Jared accommodates himself as he feels several people watching him, and he smiles at the few people that make eye contact with him. Looking back at Rebecca, he sees her opening her mouth to say something just as Jensen approaches them. He walks up to Jared and leans down to plant a kiss on the top of his head.

“Hey baby,” Jensen says before his gaze travels to the woman sitting with Jared, sending her a puzzled look. He pulls up a chair and sits down between the two of them, grabbing the cup Jared offers him, still looking at the woman.

“I know you.”

Jared reaches out and places a hand on Jensen’s forearm, making his boyfriend look at him. “Jen… she’s the pregnant woman.”

Jensen’s head snaps back to the woman, mouth hanging open. “Oh my God, that’s right! How did you find her, Jay?”

“She actually found me.”

Jared motions with his head for Rebecca to speak, and she smiles nervously at Jensen.

“I’ve been hoping I could find both of you for ages. As I was telling Jared, I had no idea if you were even alive after everything. But my biggest wish, after all that went down, was to find both of you to thank you for saving my life. I had already lost hope when I was watching the Paralympic games a few weeks ago and I saw you, Jared. It was the biggest shock of my life, not only you were indeed alive, but you were…” Rebecca stops talking, embarrassed, and Jared smiles kindly at her.

“It’s okay, you can say it. You were shocked because I’m in a wheelchair now.”

She nods, smiling gratefully at him. “Well, yeah. And then there was the scene of both of you hugging and I was shocked again when I saw the man you were hugging was the other one who helped me that day. I got very emotional learning you both were alive and apparently together. I kept track of you through news reports, and then watched you on Good Morning America. Hearing your story, what you went through that day...I started feeling guilty. The beam fell right after you got me out of the building, didn’t it?”

Jared just nods, and tears fall down her face. “God, you were helping me and look what happened! It _is_ my fault, I…”

Jared cuts her off, grabbing her forearm and raising both eyebrows at her. “No. Don’t start with this, please. It’s not your fault, not anyone’s fault. I was there doing my job Rebecca, and I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Please I beg you. Don’t beat yourself over this. I’ve been there and it’s a horrible feeling, very easy to get lost in.”

Rebecca shakes her head. “But now you have to live like this and it’s not fair!”

Jared scoffs, rolling his eyes. “I’ve told that to myself countless times. But you know what, it’s not gonna change anything. It happened, and I have to live like this now. I made my choice when I became a firefighter. I knew what I was up against, what could happen. But hey, look at me now. I’m here, I have a gorgeous boyfriend, I am a gold medalist and everyone loves me.” He winks at Jensen, trying to light up the mood. “But seriously. I can’t change the past, so now I’m finally looking forward to the future ahead of me and it looks great. Trust me, it’s okay.”

Rebecca bites the inside of her cheek for a while, processing everything, then gives them a shy smile. “You saved my life. Both of you. If it weren’t for you guys, I would have never made it out of the building. You’re the reason I’m still here.”

Jensen squeezes her shoulder, smiling at her. “I’m glad we were able to help. Jared and I also wondered what had happened to you. So now it’s your turn to tell, did you get to the hospital safely? How was the baby?”

That puts a smile on her face, and Jared is relieved even before hearing the story. “It was okay. I got to the hospital in time and had an emergency C-section. My baby wasn’t due for another two weeks but he was actually born on September 11th. What a day to have been born, huh?” She reaches into her purse and takes out her wallet, opening it to get a photograph. She shows it to both of them, and Jared can see a bright eyed boy, with an adorable smile, being held by Rebecca, and there’s a man with his arms around them. The boy is around three years old and Jared instantly smiles.

“He’s adorable.”

“Thanks,” she says softly, putting the photo back in the wallet. “We were gonna name him Dylan. But after everything that happened, we changed that. His name is Jared.”

Both Jared and Jensen’s mouths fall open at that. “S-seriously?” Jared asks with a small voice.

Rebecca nods. “Yes! I didn’t know your name back then Jensen, I only learned it recently. But I knew Jared’s, from when you screamed his name while trying to get us out of the building. I wanted to honor at least one of you for what you did. So my boy is called Jared Dylan.”

Neither Jared nor Jensen speak for a few moments, too stunned to say anything. Rebecca gave his name to her child, and Jared is beyond speechless. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“It was the least I could do. Like I said, J.D. and I are alive because of you. I could never be thankful enough for both of you and I’m so glad to be able to tell you guys that. Again, I’m so sorry for what happened to you Jared, it’s not fair at all. But you are doing so amazing, and I’m so happy to see what you have accomplished. You deserve that and so much more. Both of you deserve all the happiness in the world.”

Jared squeezes her hand. “Thank you, so much. I’m very glad we found you as well, Rebecca. Makes me happy to know that you and little Jared are fine. I’d love to meet him someday, and I’m sure Jensen would too.”

Jensen nods, smiling at Rebecca. “Jared is right. I’m happy to know you guys are okay, that what we did was worth it. And it would be great to meet Jared indeed. I tell you what, we could have you guys over for dinner, I can cook for us and we could meet your family.” He glances at Jared, “What do you think, baby?”

Jared couldn’t love his boyfriend more if he tried. He plants a kiss on the back of Jensen’s hand and winks at him. “I think it’s a great idea. What do you say, Rebecca?”

She smiles at both of them. “I’d love that. David, my husband, would love that too, he knows all about you guys and he’s very grateful as well. It’s a date!”

The three of them chat for awhile before parting ways with dinner at Jared’s house settled for next Saturday. Jared and Jensen head back to Jensen’s car. Jensen drives them home, and they hold hands during the ride, happy with the events of the day. The only thing that still bothered Jared sometimes, was not knowing what had happened to the woman and the baby. Today’s meeting gave much closure, happily so, and Jared knows it was all worth it.

*

On Saturday, Jared and Jensen welcome Rebecca and her family at Jared’s place. J.D. is an adorable kid, shy at first and very curious about Jared’s wheelchair. Jared invites him to take a closer look, explaining why he uses it in a way J.D. can understand, and even takes him for a quick ride on his lap. After that, the boy falls in love with his namesake instantly, staying glued to his side through the rest of the evening. David is a very nice guy, he thanks the boys countless times for what they did for Rebecca and their son. They spend a great evening chatting and laughing. Jensen cooks a wonderful meal for them with Jared’s help, and then they share a sinful homemade dessert that Rebecca brought. The conversation lasts for hours, as Jared and Jensen learn about J.D.’s toddler antics, and Rebecca and David wanting to hear all about Jared’s swimming and the Paralympics. The evening ends with an invitation for J.D.’s belated birthday party next week, since they had to wait to celebrate because David was traveling for work. Jared and Jensen happily accept.

After walking them outside - Jared had to take J.D. on his lap to their car because the boy wouldn’t have it any other way - Jared and Jensen return to the house, closing the door behind them, and Jensen turns to him.

“I think we made new friends.”

Jared smiles. “I like that idea.”

And as time passes, Jensen is proven right. Becky - as they now call Rebecca, David and J.D. became close to both of them, all of them meeting often, and both Jared and Jensen fall a little more in love with J.D. each time as he’s such an adorable and captivating child. Jared knows, more than ever, that the sacrifices he has made were worth it. Being a firefighter, he never knew what happened to the people he saved, he just did his job and moved on. But with Becky and her family, he can see closely how the actions of both he and Jensen changed the future of a family. He tries to imagine another reality where David lost both his wife and unborn child that day, and how this man’s world would have collapsed completely. Jared feels proud, and he knows he would do it again.

Looking back at the past several months, and all the good things that have happened, Jared feels a huge happiness in his heart. He smiles as he counts his blessings, over and over again.


End file.
